Nanotoxicology - New Research Area in Toxicology

[摘要] Nano sized materials are increasingly used in the fields of industry, science, pharmacy, medicine, electronics, communication and consumer products. On the other hand there is a great concern that these products may have some detrimental effects on human health and environment. Nanotoxicology is a new and important research area in toxicology. This toxicological research area refers to the study of interactions between living organisms and nanomaterials. Studies about nanomaterials shows that some nanomaterials may have cytotoxic and genotoxic effects and may pose health risks. But there is limited knowledge about the toxicity of nanomaterials. The nanotoxicology researchers focused on the relationship between nanomaterial characteristics (size, shape, surface area etc.) and toxic responses (cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, inflammation etc.). This article aims to give a brief summary of what is known today about nanotoxicology.

[关键词] Nanomaterial;Nanoparticle;Nanotoxicology.